US Open Prediction: Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin
August 27, 2024 at 05:00 PM EDT
The Line: Emma Raducanu -333 / Sofia Kenin +280
Former champion Emma Raducanu will play Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2024 US Open. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Here’s our Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin prediction. This article will also contain an Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin pick.
Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin Preview
Emma Raducanu returns to the scene of her biggest career triumph. The 2021 US Open champion is making her third main draw appearance in New York and her first since 2022. Raducanu missed the tournament last year while she was recovering from triple surgery.
This year, she’s been disinterested in competing in qualifying rounds of WTA tournaments and relied on her special ranking status or wild cards from tournament organizers because of her pull as a Grand Slam champion. She has played just 29 matches all season at all levels and missed both Toronto and Cincinnati because of her lower ranking.
Sofia Kenin is also a Grand Slam champion, but her title win was at the Australian Open four years ago. Like Raducanu, Kenin shares many similarities, with both players struggling to cope with the pressure of being a major winner at a young age and experiencing a big fall from grace almost instantly after their breakthrough moment.
Injuries and inconsistencies have held back the American, although she enjoyed a career resurgence in the second half of last year when she was close to re-entering the Top 30. Kenin was expected to build on that in 2024, but that has not been the case. The 25-year-old has registered just eight wins from 28 matches and lost to Clara Burel in Cleveland in her most recent tournament.
Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin Head-To-Head
• Raducanu and Kenin will meet for the first time at the 2024 US Open.
Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin Prediction
It’s a marquee opening match at the 2024 US Open as two former Grand Slam champions are set to collide. While the temptation is to take +280 odds on the American to win in what looks like a 50-50 matchup on paper, there is no denying the player who has impressed the most this season is Raducanu. The British tennis sensation is a joy to watch when her game is firing on all cylinders. Her ability to finish off points on her own terms should give her the edge in this anticipated first round.